


Is it Right to be Treated so Bad When You Give Everything You Had

by ObliqueOptimism



Series: The Rolling Scones Bakery [4]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Bakery, Gen, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Modern David "Dave" Katz, Not Beta Read, Unreliable Narrator
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-15 15:47:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29686263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObliqueOptimism/pseuds/ObliqueOptimism
Summary: Whenever someone came into The Rolling Stones Bakery, Klaus would hide behind the counter or duck into the backroom, not wanting to be seen. He knew how people would react to seeing a homeless junkie in the bakery, let alone behind the counter. So he knew it was better if he hid. He wassureof it.Dave didn't agree.
Relationships: Klaus Hargreeves/David "Dave" Katz
Series: The Rolling Scones Bakery [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1872691
Comments: 44
Kudos: 151





	Is it Right to be Treated so Bad When You Give Everything You Had

**Author's Note:**

> okay so i finally got this chapter finished. i've not had time or energy to write but trust me, i got more planned for the bakery au   
> thanks to y'all who helped me with this chapter and those who will help with future chapters
> 
> this chapter is set just after the second chapter of the first fic of the series aka be gay do crimes chapter

Klaus had agreed to stay at Dave’s until his face healed some. It was still winter and he’d been chased out by Diego last time he visited after getting caught doing drugs. Honestly, Klaus wasn’t sure why Diego was so upset with him about it. It wasn’t like him doing drugs was anything new. It couldn’t have been a surprise. Diego had started the night by saying Klaus could stay as long as he wanted, having just been kicked out of his ex-boyfriend’s place and was sporting some injuries from their break up.

Four hours later Diego threw Klaus out for doing drugs and so he’d scampered off to the Rolling Scones Bakery and Dave. 

He hadn’t expected to be let in, let alone to go be gay and do crimes.

It had been a few days since he’d shown up to bother Dave and he was surprised at how nice it was. Last time he’d only stayed one night but this time it’d already been four nights and so far Dave didn’t act like he was going to kick him out anytime soon.

Which was _odd_ but welcome.

It wouldn’t have been as odd if Klaus was sleeping with Dave but he kept turning him down.

“I don’t get it,” Klaus told Ben, eyeing Dave from the backroom of the bakery. Dave was currently with a small family of customers. A mom and two daughter had come in a few minutes ago, Dave had gone out to help them while Klaus stayed in the back. 

Ben sighed deeply, “What don’t you get, Klaus?”

“Dave! It’s been days and he still won’t sleep with me! _What’s with that?”_ It was just so _weird_. Klaus had stopped offering himself to Dave but he had expected Dave to decide _now was the time_ and make a move. “He even knows that I’m not currently dating anyone! It’s the perfect time for him to help himself!”

“Good Samaritan,” Ben reminded him. 

Klaus rolled his eyes. He’d been back and forth on if Dave was the real deal or not.

He’d never met an honest good Samaritan who just wanted to help for nothing in return, but as of yet Dave fit the bill. Klaus kept waiting for him to change, to show that he wasn’t the good Samaritan he seemed.

Klaus watched with narrowed eyes as Dave gave each of the daughters a free cookie as the mom bought a cake. He then told them a joke and waved as they left.

It all seemed too good to be true.

People like this-- people like Dave? They weren’t for Klaus to interact with. He’d be the ruin of Dave. One day he’d push too far and Dave would change for the worse-- because of Klaus. He’d push Dave too far and then he’d no longer be a good Samaritan. 

After the family left Dave turned and smiled at Klaus and gestured for him to come over.

When Klaus arrived by his side, Dave held out the plate of cookies, “Want one?”

Klaus grabbed _two_ , trying to see what he could get away with before he got kicked out, because he would get kicked out. He _always_ got kicked out. With a glance at Dave’s face, he shoved one of the cookies in his mouth and Dave smiled and looked _happy_ that Klaus took two cookies instead of just one.

What a weirdo.

The past few days Klaus had been back and forth about Dave. Not sure if he should trust him. He had blackmail material on the guy now but--

Both Ben and Diego always scolded Klaus for being too trusting, too uncaring about his own well being. But he thought he kept a healthy wall up between him and others. Sure he often let others do what they wanted with him but he wasn’t _that_ trusting. He tended not to actually trust, _not really_. It didn’t matter to Klaus how he was physically treated but he never opened up to them. He didn’t trust them with anything other than his body.

And it never bothered Klaus if he was hurt. Sometimes it was nice, a reminder that he was alive. Feeling physical pain, unlike the ghosts around him. He couldn’t be dead if he was bruised and battered. 

He’d gotten so used to being greeted with harsh hands and words that he found he flinched sometimes, when Dave reached towards him. Dave would freeze for a second, looking sad, then he’d continue with his movement slowly. Klaus was always so surprised when Dave’s touch was gentle. Still so gentle, even with the bruises fading, not adding more.

It was nice.

But he couldn’t get used to it. Before too long he’d be kicked out and he’d go back to being treated like normal. 

Maybe he should leave before he got used to it? Before he got kicked out?

“Nickel for your thoughts?” Dave asked, handing over a drink.

Klaus took the glass, realizing the cookies _had_ made him thirsty. “Shouldn’t it be a penny?”

Dave shrugged, “Don’t want to undercharge you. Your thoughts are worth _at least_ a nickel.”

Klaus laughed. “Oh trust me, they aren’t even worth a penny.”

Dave frowned and then reached into his pocket before handing over a quarter, “This seems the right price.”

Klaus rolled his eyes, “Not thinking anything worth a quarter, promise you that.”

“Well I’ll be the judge of that,” Dave said. He took a rag and wiped off a counter that had a bit of batter on it, “So spill. What’s goin’ on?”

Klaus finished his last cookie as he debated if he wanted to lie or not. Normally he would, no problems with lying. After all, he didn’t usually trust people with the real answers. But Dave was _different_. Or, he hoped he was. For god’s sake, the guy gave out free cookies to little girls and drug addicts! But how would he convey what he’d been thinking? The internal debate about if he _could_ trust Dave, waiting to get kicked out and told to never come back, wondering when he’d become _too much._

“You’re not gonna be able to stay open if you keep giving out cookies and quarters to children and drug addicts,” Klaus replied. It was _sort of_ what he was thinking. It was close enough to the truth. 

The quarter was warm in his hand.

Dave shifted on his feet, “Why do you always hide behind the counter or in the back room when people show up?”

Klaus laughed lightly, “People don't really like to see homeless junkies in businesses, let alone behind the counter.” He didn’t realize he’d have to spell it out to Dave, let alone have Dave ask in the first place. He’d always thought it was obvious why he hid. Often when people came in, he either stayed in the back room, like he had with the small family that had just been in the bakery, or quickly ducked behind the counter before he was spotted. 

Ideally it was before he was spotted.

He wasn’t always quick enough but the thought is what counted, right?

Dave frowned. Klaus was drawn to the small crease between Dave’s eyebrows when he frowned. While he frowned a decent amount when Klaus was around, it was always in response to something Klaus said that Dave didn’t like the sound of. Stuff about how he was treated, what he expected, what he thought of himself. 

If you asked Klaus, the crease was kind of cute.

“You know you’re more than that,” Dave stated. He _stated_ it. As if this was a fact. That Klaus _was_ better than that.

Giving an amused snort, Klaus nodded, “Oh yes, _a whore.”_

The crease deepened, _“Klaus.”_

Klaus almost _coo’d_ at the crease.

Instead of making it so that Dave knew how absolutely _adorable_ his frowny face was, Klaus said, “It’s all they see me as, Dave. So it doesn’t matter if I am more than that. It’s all that matters.”

_“You_ matter.”

“David, you can’t just say shit like that,” Klause mimed fanning his face. “I may _swoon_.”

“I’ll catch you if you fall, Klaus,” Dave said, all serious like his business was the conversation and not a bakery. 

“Wow,” Ben commented dryly.

Klaus couldn’t stand the look Dave was giving him. Caring, that crease barely there but deep enough to _be seen_ , as if _Dave could see Klaus._

Pfft.

As if.

Klaus looked down at the quarter in his hand. George Washington was on the front, as with all quarters. He flipped it over to see what was on the back. It was a state quarter. He squinted at it. It was an Idaho quarter. Klaus almost snorted in amusement.

I

Da

Hoe

Idaho. 

Obviously this quarter was meant for him.

Dave sighed and seemed to note that Klaus no longer wanted to talk about this, about how he was _worth_ something. Knocking their shoulders together, Dave asked, “Want to help me make homemade peanut butter cups?”

Klaus grinned, “Hell yeah!”

He knew this probably wouldn’t be the last time they spoke about this topic, but Klaus was more than glad to let it drop for the time being.

Plus homemade peanut butter cups?

_Hell yeah._

**Author's Note:**

> cowgaykermit @ tumblr


End file.
